Lawmaker In 'Canvassing While Black' Incident: 'You Can't Legislate Humanity'A neighborhood resident called 911 on Oregon state Rep. Janelle Bynum, who is a black woman, while she was canvassing. Bynum does not think legislation is the fix for reducing such police encounters.

This Tuesday, July 3, 2018 selfie photo provided by Oregon state Rep. Janelle Bynum, shows her posing with a Clackamas County Sheriff's officer after he stopped her in Clackamas, Ore
Janelle Bynum via AP
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Janelle Bynum via AP

This Tuesday, July 3, 2018 selfie photo provided by Oregon state Rep. Janelle Bynum, shows her posing with a Clackamas County Sheriff's officer after he stopped her in Clackamas, Ore

Janelle Bynum via AP

People have asked Janelle Bynum whether legislation would help solve the problem of police being called on black people for just going about their daily lives. Bynum, an Oregon state representative who herself had authorities called on her while canvassing for votes earlier this month, simply tells them, "You can't legislate humanity."

Bynum, who is the only black representative in the Oregon state House, was canvassing in her district ahead of Independence Day, as NPR's Tanya Ballard Brown reported. The lawmaker said she was typing notes in a driveway when a deputy from the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office approached her.

The deputy approached her and guessed that she was selling something, according to Bynum. She introduced herself as a state representative, and to her surprise, Bynum said, he did not demand proof of identification.

"It was so incredible for me because he believed me," she said of the officer.

"He was well within his rights to go as far down as he could to humiliate me in that circumstance as he wanted to, and he didn't," Bynum said.

While the situation did not escalate — she said on Facebook that the deputy "responded professionally" — Bynum points to a history of interactions between police and African-Americans that have not ended as peacefully.

"I think if you have the luxury of never having to live in fear it doesn't mean that much to you to call the authorities on someone," Bynum said. "And so there's no consequence. There's no feedback. You're not forced to see my humanity."